During the formal scoping period, public meetings were held throughout the planning area. The results of scoping are summarized in the Scoping Report, which can be found on the Documents & Reports page.

Based on these scoping comments, the BLM identified 10 issues to be addressed in the Draft RMP and EIS. These are listed below in alphabetical order.

Climate Change

Fisheries Management

Minerals Management

Recreation and Visitor Services

Rights-of-way Management

Subsistence

Travel Management (off-road vehicles)

Water Quality

Wilderness Characteristics

Wildlife

The public also identified management concerns that did not rise to the level of an issue. Some of these concerns are addressed in the Draft RMP/EIS. Others are outside the scope of the RMP or can be addressed immediately. One example is the establishment of easements to provide access to public land across land owned by Native Corporations. The process of establishing easements in the planning area is ongoing and does not require a land use plan decision to proceed.

Examples of management concern that are outside the scope of the plan are changes to hunting regulations, seasons, and bag limits. These decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Game and the Federal Subsistence Board, not the BLM.

The BLM held public meetings in the region from April through early June 2012. Comments at these meetings indicate that Minerals Management, Travel Management, and Subsistence are primary issues of concern.